Mission Date: February 25, 1945
MUNICH, MY
100th BG Mission #: 267
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY...FEBRUARY 25, 1945
In Germany’s 3rd largest city, Munich, veteran party members were wrapping up a weekend-long 25th anniversary celebration of the National Socialist Party’s proclamation. The previous day, Hitler, via a surrogate reader, had delivered a speech where he told the members, “The very last ounce of strength must be thrown into the battle with utmost fanaticism and stubborn steadfastness…Providence shows no mercy to weak nations but only recognizes the right of existence of sound and strong nations…twenty-five years ago I predicted the victory of the National Socialist movement… Today imbued with faith in our people I predict victory for the Reich at the end of our struggle.”
At Thorpe Abbotts, thirty-eight crews were checking in with the attendance man for their 0430 briefing. The 13th Wing would only fly two Groups that day; the 100th as the ‘A’ group and the 95th as its ‘B’. Last hit in July 1944, the boys’ learned that they would be flying to southern Germany - Munich - where their Primary visual target would be the holding siding in the railway marshalling yards while the 95th would target the underground oil storage tanks at Neuberg. Both Groups were to bomb the center of Munich as a Secondary target if the H2X method was required.
Leading the Hundredth’s formation would be Lyster and Jones while the High would be led by Ferbrache and Murray and the Low by Hensey and Ellis. The formation’s route in would take them through Belgium, then France south to Colmar, turning east to Augsburg and then northeast of Munich where they would make their turn on to the bomb run. Stalag VII -A Moosburg, a Prisoner of War camp, was thirty-six miles northeast of Munich and the boys were reminded to take special care not to hit it.
With all ships in the air by 0800, the Group and Wing assemblies were made with no problems encountered to the enemy lines except for LT Munoz, who pulled his aircraft out of formation early due to an internal engine failure, jettisoning his bombs and receiving no sortie credit.
Before the IP was reached, two additional 418th ships flown by the 349th’s pilots Sanford and Wood in the Low squadron, left the formation, each with engine issues. With both ships dropping their bombs on their way out on Burladingen, a Target of Opportunity, mission credit was given.
Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered over the heavily defended city on the long bomb run. Somewhere between the IP and the target, two ships from the High squadron accidentally dropped their bombs due to internal maneuvers. Smoke and haze from the previous wave of bombers obscured the target somewhat, but the 100th’s bombs were dropped on the marshalling yards by all squadrons. In fact, five hundred sixty-two B-17s from the 1st and 3rd Divisions would drop on Munich that day.
The boys reformed quickly at the Rally Point, skirting the Alps and the Bodensee on their way out and crossing the English Coast at 1554 hours. After nine hours in the air, four of them attached to the critical oxygen masks, the airmen returned home tired but safe. Ten ships required repairs due to flak damage, with one heading into sub-depot repair and one ship, flown by LT Meikeljohn, had landed in France.
Although any crew returning from a combat mission is a relieved one, the most relieved was the 349th’s Adair Crew who had just flown their #35 and last mission. Adair’s Engineer and Top Turret Gunner, Conley Culpepper remembered that he survived his tour by thinking about one mission at a time. “To me anyway…when you finished 30, you thought about 31 and didn’t let yourself think about 35. It wasn’t until we landed that last one — that’s when I believed it. Up until then, there were times that it sure felt like everybody in Germany was trying their best to kill us and the Army was trying pretty hard itself to send you back up just to let you get killed.” Tail Gunner, David M. Dalgarn did not appreciate being sent on anything but a "milk run” for his last mission, recording, “The sons-a-bitches supposed to send us on an easy one. That’s All.”
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: FAIR
Aircraft Lost: 0
Crew Lost: 0
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
Photos
MUNICH, MY 25 Feb 45
100th B Group, Munich. Feb 25, 1945. photo courtesy of Capt Tong
